Timber-clamping device



F. LROGERS.

TIMBER CLAMPING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19.1922.

, 1 437 019 Patented Nov. 28, 1922. I F I FIG. 2 5

INVENTOR YIWYM '7 may/m BY M ATTORNEYS Patented Nov). 28, lQZZ.

' "Annie r r c FRANKLIN L. ROGERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y,

TIMBEB-CLAMPING DEVICE.

Application filed July 19, 1922. Serial No. 576,137.

all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANKLIN L. ROGERS, a citizen of the llnited States, residing at New York, in the county of New Y ork and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timber- Clamping ,Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to devices for clamping timber, such as uprights, balks, and beams, together; and more particularly to devices for clamping uprights together in the construction of scaffolding and similar structures. An object of the invention is to provide a device for such purposes which may be effectively locked in position, winch will be of the simplest possible construction, which will be cheap to manufacture, which may be readily attached and detached, and which will be safe and reliable in operation. Other and further objects and features of the invention will appear hereinafter in the specification and be pointed out in the annexed claims. I

I will now describe the invention with reference to .the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof. In these drawings like reference numerals in the several figures designate like parts.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the clamping device applied to two uprights, with the parts of the device in the position they are caused to assume before being forced into looking position;

Fig. 2 is asimilar View showing the parts after they have been forced into locking position; r

Fig. 3 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2)

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the U- shaped member;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the locking plate;

Fig. .6 plate; and

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the lines 7-7 of Fig. 2. I

Referring more particularly to said drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates a U-shapedmember preferably formed of iron or some other suitable metal. The arms of this member, as shown, lie in a plane; and at the ends are bent away to one side of the plane to form the two hooks 11. When it is desired to clamp timber together, such as for example, the two uprights 12 and 13, the

is an end elevation of the locking U-sha'ped member is placed in a position embracing the same as shown in Fig. 1. Along the upper. interior edge of the yoke of the member 10 are preferably placed notches, as indicated at 14 in Fig. 4, or teeth or ridges, in order to provide a good gripping orbiting edge to engage the timber. vAs will be seen later on, this upper interior edge is the one which bites or cuts into the timber when the clamp is forced into locking position.

After the-member 10 is placed in a posi-.

tion substantially as shown in Fig. 1, a looking plate 15 is fitted into position to cooperate with said member to securely clamp the timber. 'This locking plate 15, as will be clearly seen from Figs. 5 and 6, consists in its preferred form of a main or interme- 'diate portion arranged in a plane and provided with laterally extending portions 16 and 17 arranged in a plane parallel thereto. The opposite sides or edges 20 and 21 of plate 15 are adapted to act as timber engaging edges, while the corresponding opposite sides 18, 19 and'22, 23 of the laterally extending portions are adapted to act as fulcruming edges in the hooks 11; so that a reversible locking plateis thus secured.

The sizes of the member 10 and the plate 15' are so proportioned with relation to the size of the timber to be clamped, that the radial distance from the fulcruming points 11 to the tip of the active timber engaging edge of the intermediate portion of plate 15 is slightly greater than the shortest distance from the same points to the timber. This distance is made just enough'greater to make it necessary to force the timber engaging edge into the timber a sufficient distance to obtain a good bite or grip thereon when the device is moved into the locking position shown in Fig. 2.

In order that a single clamp may be used for more than one size of timber, the edge 21 of plate 1-5'is preferably extended beyond the adjacentfulcruming edges 18 and 19 as shown in Fig. 5. It will be apparent that with such a construction when the plate 15 is reversed from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that edges 22' and 23 fulcrum in hooks 11, that the distance from the fulcruming point to the timber engaging edge (in this case edge 21) will'be greater than in the former case by the-amount of the extension, so that the clamp may then be used on smaller sized timber.

After the members 10 and 15 are arranged in the position shown in Fig. 1, the" two preceding paragraphs. When in locked position, it will be noted that the laterally extending portions 16 and 17 lie along the arms of the member 10, on one side lot the.

plane of the arms; but that the timber engaging edge 20, because of its being offsetor beyond the plane of said portions, has

.- passed through the plane which includes the fulcrums at 11 and the upper interior edge 24 of the yoke of member 10, and thereby effects a toggle look. In operation, as the plate 15 moves about fulcrum 11, from the position shown in Fig. 1, toward the position shown in Fig. 2,'the member 10 pivots on the in terior surface of yoke 24 and moves down-- ward so thatits lower surface first passes by edgeQO and then moves into contact with laterally extending portions 17 and 18. The turning ofthe plate 15 about fulcrum 11 may be effected in any suitable manner; for example, it is generally effected manually by means of a lever provided with a slot in one end adapted to be fitted over the intermediate portion of the plate.

It will be obvious that minor modifications may be made in the design of the cooperating locking plate without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is not essential, forexample, that the intermediate main portion of the locking plate be arranged in a plane'if the timber engaging edges of the plate be offset from or out of the plane of the laterally extending portions so that when the latter lie along the arms of the U-shaped member the active timber engaging edge is advanced and forms a toggle lock.

Claims.

1. A toggle-locking timber-clamping dedevice of the character described, a locking vice, comprising in combination, a U-shaped member adapted to embrace the timber and having the ends of its arms extending beyond the timber and formed into hooks, a cooperating looking plate having laterally extending portions arranged'in a common plane and provided with edges on opposite sides thereoi adapted to fulcrum in said hooks, and timber engaging edges on corresponding opposite sides of the intermediate main portion and offset from the plane of the laterally extending portions.

2. A toggle-locking timber-clamping device, comprising in combination, a U-shaped member adapted to embrace the timber and having the ends of its arms extending beyond the timber and formed into hooks, a cooperating locking plate having laterally extending portions arranged in a common plane and provided with edges on opposite sides thereof adapted to fulcrum in said hooks, and timber engaging edges on corresponding opposite sides of the intermediate main portion and ofiset from the plane of the laterally extending portions, one of said timber engaging edges projecting out beyond the adjacent fulcruming edge.

3. A toggle-locking timber-clamping device, comprising in combination, a U-shaped member adapted to embrace the timber and having the ends of its arms extending beyond the timber and formed into hooks, a

cooperating looking plate having laterally extending portions arranged in a common plane and provided with edges on opposite sides thereof adapted to fulcrum in said hooks, and timber engaging edges on corresponding opposite sides of the intermediate main portion and offset from the plane of the laterally extending portions, the timber engaging edges being so disposed that the distance from one fulcruming edge of the laterally extending portions to the oppositely disposed timber engaging edge of the intermediate main portion 1s different from the distance from the other fulcruming edge to its oppositely disposed timber engaging edge.

4. In a toggle-locking timber-clamping device of the character described, a locking plate having laterally extending portions arranged in a common plane, and timber engaging edges on opposite sides of the intermediate main portion and offset from the planeof the lateral-lyextending portions.

5. In a toggle-locking timber-clamping device of the character described, a locking plate having laterally extending portions arranged in a common plane and provided with afulcruming edge, and an interme diate main portion arranged in a plane parallel thereto and provided with a timber engaging edge.

6. In a toggle-looking timber-clamping plate having laterally extending portions arranged in a common plane and provided with fulcruming edges on opposite sides,

and timber engaging edges on correspond ing opposite sides of the intermediate main portion and offset from the plane of the laterally extending portions,- one of said timber engaging edges projecting out beyond the adjacent in cruming edge.

way

and timber engaging edges on corresponding opposite sides of the intermediate main portion and ofiset from the plane of the laterally extending portions, the timber engaging edges being so disposed that the distance from one fulcruming edge of the laterally extending portions to the o positely disposed timber engaging edge 0 the intermediate main portion is difleren't from the distance from the other fulcruming edge to its oppositely disposed timber engaging edge.

FRANKLIN L. ROGERS. 

